House Eridanus
Role Within the Empire The great and noble House Eridanus has served the Imperium since the beginning. Our house has, since time immemorial, served as the loyal and trusted exchequers, financiers, collectors of the Imperial tithes, and the only house trusted to protect and maintain the accounts of the Imperial throne. The Treasurer to the emperor. Furthermore, of all the Houses Minor, Eridanus maintains the closest and most productive relationship with the various non-noble entities within the Empire. Noble ambassadors of the house maintain special relationships with members of A.C.R.E. for their prospects of trade and industry and The Trilliant Ring whom not only are one of Eridanus’ closest allies but also provide the nobility of House Eridanus with their numerous luxuries and entertainments. Eridanus also provides the Empire with the greatest providers of tradesmen and merchant caravans that ply the sector. This not only brings wealth into the House and its noble families but also provides a much needed service to the Empire and the other houses, transporting their goods and materials, from the tools and weapons of war constructed on the forge planets of House Reticulum, that require safe and quick transport to the militaristic bases of House Aquila, or the luxuries of the Trilliant to decadent metropolises of the Pyxis. The centralized location of House Eridanus's homeworld Tiber within the sector provides a natural trade hub. House Eridanus has not commonly provided many Emperors, preferring to provide loyal and reliable service and assistance to the throne. Instead, Eridani work throughout the Empire serving to maintain and provide stability to the Sector. When Eridani do serve as emperor, their reigns are signified by long periods of great wealth, prosperity, and stability within the Empire, coupled with periods of growth of trade and profits amongst all the houses. The greatest of all Eridani empresses was Empress Eridanus Juliana IX, elected to the throne after the disastrous and bloody rule of the previous emperor, Emperor Aquila Tidus Virilius I. Under her rule, the Empire not only made great leaps of technological and cultural advancement, but she ushered in a period of much-needed stability following the long and devastating wars against both vile aliens races and rebellions within the Empire. Leadership Structure Trivox: The Office of the Trivox is the de facto leader of House Eridanus. They serve as the voice of the house within the great assemblies of the Minor Houses. Furthermore, they oversee the maintenance of the Treasury and Lore record of the house. This office is filled by an elected member of the House and serves for (PERIOD OF TIME UNKNOWN). Subjugant Offices Scrivox The Scrivox work as a team of 2-4 under the Office of the Trivox and serve mainly as record-keepers and lore-masters for the entire house. Any member may seek to enter an article or item into the official record of house lore but only the lore maintained by the Scriveners is deemed legitimate and correct. Archevox Similar to the Scrivox, however instead of recording the lore and history of House Eridanus they instead serve in a more useful day-to-day purpose serving the needs of the house. The Archevox are in charge of recording the meeting records of each of the members of the House as best can be recorded and maintained. Similar to the Scrivox the Archevox work in a multi-member team to maintain their highly important records. Taxarch: The office of the Taxarch serves as the life’s blood of House Eridanus. This elected official maintains the office for (PERIOD OF TIME UNKNOWN). The office of the Taxarch and its subjugant offices are in charge of the collection of taxation throughout the Empire. Without their constant and dedicated work, the flow of wealth into and out of the imperial treasury would cease to exist and disrupt all transactions throughout the sector. This office also employs House Eridanus’ limited militaristic assets when a collection of dues is disrupted due to reluctant payees. Transactos: The office of the Transactos controls the political dealings of House Eridanus and sends out their officers to collect information, serve as ambassadors and spies, ensure trade deals and contracts are made legally and binding in nature. Furthermore, they control the back channels of the House officials ensuring that the proper meetings are carried out and the right contacts are made. Subjugant Offices Quant/Quantess The Quants or Quantesses of the house serve as the analysts and market experts for the office of the Transactos. These members compile market information, sales, and trade deals as well as keep an eye on the news and current events to predict and set trends and prices. Titles Not Subject To a Department These Titles generally fall outside the bounds of the governing departments and are used to denote Nobles with a wide range of responsibilities. Count/Countess The bulk of the membership of House Eridanus is made up of the noble families bearing the title of Count and Countess. The most populous title within the house they serve at the benefit of the house and are called upon to vote and address the issues that are then debated by the Triumvirate at the top. The members of this title can shift from office to office but will often return to the nominative Count/Countess when not serving another office or role. Viscount/Viscountess The Viscounts and Viscountesses of House Eridanus serve much as their higher positioned brethren do but with an increased level of freedom. While the Counts/Countesses serve as the noble face and voters amongst the house and create connections for the benefit of House Eridanus, the Viscounts/Viscountesses operate in more supportive rolls to ensure that all the house's responsibilities are carried out with maximum efficiency. Artifex The Artifex serves jointly as marketeer of House Eridanus as well as the propagandist for the house. The Artifex creates and publishes the image that the House desires to portray. Their work is greatly appreciated and applauded for its creativity and unique output. Furthermore, the Artifex can take it upon themselves to improve House Eridanus’ image by countering anti-Eridanus imagery and propaganda that arises from the House’s rivals. Savii The Savii or Sages are a small number of older members of the House. They are chosen for their wisdom and experience spanning lifetimes. Largely the Savii serve as advisors and voices within the House offering suggestions and answers to the issues and complications that arise. Scrutineer The Scrutineer serves as an important figure during the election period of House Eridanus. As the Triumvirate is a collection of three elected officials chosen by the house the Scrutineer serves to ensure that the runs for candidacy follow the letter and spirit of the law of House Eridanus and serves to officiate the election itself. This role is one of importance and a mark of clear dedication to the house and family and the necessities of upholding the status quo and stability of House Eridanus and the Empire. T.H.E. Ex T.H.E. Ex. (The House Eridanus Exchange) is the Eridani run and managed stock exchange for the various corporations and the productive noble houses. It allows the industrious citizens of the Empire to purchase stocks, funding our noble houses and corporations in their endeavors. In return, their stocks may improve and may be sold at a higher price. This promotes competition between the various corporations as well as solidarity amongst the houses. Due to the recent disruptions T.H.E. Ex. has been closed but has recently reopened its floors to allow the investors of all the houses access to their shares once again. The dedicated Eridani staff and analysts keep a careful watch on the news, rumors, business dealings throughout the sector to predict any major shifts and changes in the worth of stock. Trade and Profit Aside from their role as tax collectors, many Eridani supplement or even thrive off of the profits they derive from trade. Some families, such as the Opolens family, own vast trade fleets and use contacts made from all factions to ensure their ships are not only full but also protected from all but the most daring of pirates. The Eridani are far from scrupulous when it comes to trade matters and will trade and transport all but the most illegal substances of the Empire. Their position as trade envoys and tax collectors allow them to offer the best prices and their knowledge of the trade law allows for the transport of questionable items past authorities that might otherwise stop other merchants. Faith Faith within Eridanus is a secondary concern to many. The Eridani follow the teachings of The High Church of Messiah-as-Empire but are not active members of the church nor highly religious in nature. Religious practice is treated as a private matter amongst the Eridani but in general the House politics are not driven by the spiritual needs of the people and instead focus more on the world of the living and the needs of their people. Entertainment House Eridanus has a reputation amongst the other noble houses for being ‘sticks in the mud’ ‘dull’ or ‘boring’. Much of this is due to their strict adherence to the rules of bureaucracy and putting business before all other matters. Furthermore, their role as tax collectors for the Empire has left the House far from the most popular. However, when it comes to entertaining themselves Eridani are prone to excitement and extravagance not seen throughout much of the rest of their culture. Eridani are notorious gamblers and much of their entertainment culture revolves around the bets and wagers. Everything from sports, including races of animals and vehicular varieties to the House sport of choice COGA (Count Operating Gravitational Apparatus) ball games, to music franchises and movie plots all have highly regulated and extremely complex system of betting. Massive luxury cruise ships sail both the cosmos and the seas of Eridani worlds many of which are devoted largely if not solely to the vice of gambling with games of skill, chance, and luck from throughout the sector being offered. Families have lost and gained fortunes on the whims and overconfident bets of less wise members. This has led to a minor form of indentureship within the house with penniless noble families working off debts and bets for other more powerful families. For sport, many nobles will often choose hunting and riding or even driving as their typical recreation, though many own or seek to own COGA ball teams. COGA is a complex combination of the ancient Terran games of Cricket, Golf, and Lawn Darts. A typical match can last over a fortnight in length while also being run through a system of simultaneous flowcharts and brackets which often cause a pause in gameplay to allow for the completion of entirely separate COGA ball games to finish. Recreational versions of the game often end by just running the systems based on the first few days of play instead of allowing the game to play out in full. Crowd attendance to these games is often quite large and mainly consist of Eridani families lunching and meeting with friends and contacts while the nobles in charge of the teams meet on the field to discuss the game in length with small bouts of actual gameplay. Common Coloquialisms House Eridanus is known for its antiquated dialect and has developed a number of sayings and colloquialisms that house members use to convey certain feelings, acknowledgments, and warnings. Here follows but a brief selection of the many sayings of the Eridani: ‘''In the Black''’: This is the motto of House Eridanus and hints at both the typical aim of the members of the house, to be always in the black, but also to the houses underlying, though rarely recognized, sense of humor and love of wordplay. ‘''As it flows''’: used as a formal send-off/farewell ‘''And so it flows''’: used as an exclamation of agreement or a toast ‘''The river carves the rock''’: a common saying both as words of caution but also of advice, this saying belays Eridani belief that the long, patient game is far more profitable and beneficial than brash, immediate action ‘''Money talks, Eridanus doesn’t''’: a rarely used phrase but one that is taken to heart by the families of House Eridanus. In politics Eridanus are quiet and contemplative, speaking only when they deem it necessary to offer advice or arrange a contract or transaction ‘''Theft is taxable''’: a common and appropriate retort to the Vagrant rally cry of ‘Taxation is theft’ ‘''Anything is taxable''’: a phrase meaning similar to there’s always a silver lining ‘''Seek stability''’: a common goal and the ideal that all of House Eridanus strive to attain. Trade and taxation are harder to obtain and control during times of strife and turmoil, to Eridani peace and stability means wealth and prosperity. ‘''May you avoid the rapids''’: a statement of well wishes ‘''Current carry you''’: a less formal farewell used largely amongst members of the house ‘''Drowning in Red''’: a threat of both financial ruin and of physical violence (typically in conjunction with a throat slitting gesture) Additionally House Eridanus has also evolved a highly structured and very rigid language of its own. This began as a version of shorthand legalese that was used in early trade and corporate contracts. Over millennia it has evolved and expanded into a widely used signalling tool for House Eridanus members. This form of legal-speak is commonly referred to as Tax Cant. Category:Factions Category:Houses Minor